Zone of the Enders: Horus
by Ignition
Summary: The chronicles of a Frame Runner searching for his lover.
1. Default Chapter

"Is this it, Lieutenant?"     

"Yes, sir, The Orbital Frame Horus.  It just came in last night straight from the Nirgal Vallis Shipyard. Incredible, isn't she?"     

"Yes, it is..." 

"Did you know that she…"

"He" the Lieutenant corrected 

"He… is named after Horus, the enemy of Seth? It's kind of ironic… this frame was to be a pair with Seth…" 

The tech's head pitched forwards as the knife hand strike connected with the base of his skull. Looking up at the silent orbital frame, the pilot placed his hand on it's cool green and black metatron surface and bid the cockpit open.        

He needed to work quickly for the next shift of engineers would be coming shortly through the bay's auxiliary doors. Bringing the silent machine to life, he awaited the cool response from the speakers.

"Good evening commander, ready for combat?"

"Good evening EOS" the lieutenant addressed the machine "yes, I am ready for combat. Could you please activate the security protocols and seal the doors leading into the hangar?" some where in the back of his mind he wondered why he was being so polite to a machine, it was just a tool after all wasn't it?

"Confirmed. Activating security protocols."

"Good, now open the hangar doors."

EOS' voice chided him from the holographic display "Warning, further activation will result in the alert of base security. Do you wish to continue?"

"Yes."

            Alarm klaxons sounded all through Phobos Base, waking startled officers from their sleep. Within his office at the north pole of the potato shaped moonlet, Admiral Severinson nearly dropped his characteristic cigar.

            "He did what!?"

            The yeoman on the screen swallowed hard "That's right sir… Lt. Skor, Xarin that is, disabled the tech assigned to watch the Horus and has sealed the bay. We think he's trying to…." Sevrinson cut the comm..

            "Doctor, is there any way to disable the Amun from here?"

            On the new vid window, _La Bella Signora_ Carlotta Tolianni shook her raven tresses "no commander. EOS has completely isolated all nonessential areas. We can however enter the control room… I've dispatched a team…"

            The burly Admiral rose from his chair "I'll be right there"

Three minutes left. Xarin looked about the green-lit cockpit, it smelled as if they had just removed the plastic from all the control surfaces. _Probably because they never intended to use you…_ He placed his palms upon the control spheres and began to feel the power through the feedback. 

            "Horus, initiate all combat system" 

            "Confirmed. Combat status is only seventy-five percent due to the lack of currently installed drivers."

            He sighed… missing drivers meant his subweapon options were limited "List current drivers Horus" 

            "Affirmative. Current drivers are ECMVT.dvr, Bld.dvr, and Map.dvr minimal combat operating conditions. All essential weaponry has been transferred to Ausaas prior to her launch."

            Xarin slumped in his control chair "Thank you Horus"

He could have easily stolen one of the other Orbital frames docked at Phobos Base, but Horus had one extra system the other frames didn't: Electromagnetic and Vector Trap Camouflage. Essentially the Frame generated a vector trap that absorbed all incoming light, reflecting it through another open trap. In this mode Amun was as intangible as the air… that also meant that it couldn't strike when cloaked. _But she could… that's why they sent her… with him…_His entire plan was pure insanity at best, sheer lunacy at worse. All he had to do was find a needle in a veritable haystack.  Before several days ago, never in his wildest dreams would he have considered doing something like this, but all that changed with Admiral Sevrinson took out that report. _I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures…_

Rushing into the launch bay's control room, Sevrinson grimaced and the blue green glow of the Orbital frame's metatron power systems illuminated the small room "Report" he barked. 

A yeoman typed in the necessary access codes seal the main doors, the massive locking mechanisms snapping tight with a resounding boom "main doors sealed, ."  as soon as the computer accepted the codes and red klaxons began to scream through the launch bay as well as the monotone female voice of the computer.

"Warning, internal stresses upon restraints increasing, suggest release of restraints to prevent structural damage."

Sevrinson gazed out the windows; Horus was visibly straining against the restraints that bound him. Green arcs of energy rushed over the surface of the metallic locks that held the machine as if crucified. Sevrinson could see the orange glow of melting steel seconds before the twin blades that made up the Orbital frame's weaponry snapped free. Horus speared one of the locks and hurled it at the control room. Xarin's voice echoed over the comm lines 

"I am Horus, the great Falcon upon the ramparts of the house of him of the hidden name. My flight has reached the horizon. I have passed by the gods of Nut. I have gone further than the gods of old. Even the most ancient bird could not equal my very first flight. I have removed my place beyond the powers of Set, the foe of my father Osiris. No other god could do what I have done. I have brought the ways of eternity to the twilight of the morning. I am unique in my flight. My wrath will be turned against the enemy of my father Osiris and I will put him beneath my feet in my name of 'Red Cloak'."   

The cool voice of Horus chimed in after Xarin had completed his speech "Systems check complete. Restraints removed, you are clear to navigate" Horus turned to face the doors "Warning, launch doors not open, warning launch doors not open"

            Xarin bid the Orbital frame raised the two blades that formed the ends of its arms. A sudden glare lit the cockpit with white brilliance throwing Xarin's flickering shadow onto the bulkhead behind him. Around and between the blades, tongues of green metatron energy were shooting, whirling, and arcing back and forth. The fantastic energy cascade began sluicing up the blades towards their tips sparking snapping, eager to be set free. 

            Xarin smiled lightly "Now, behold the power that is mine!"

The energy storm around the booms built to an earth shaking pitch, a noise like a million screaming demons. Xarin released the energies into the two massive doors, momentarily illuminating the hangar with a light greater than the sun's. After a few seconds of exposure to the beam, the doors exploded outwards venting the room to space. Horus turned its green eyes on the control room.

Through Horus' sensors Xarin glanced at the launch control room one last time: Sevrinson was balking at some technicians. "EOS, open a channel."

The computer responded quickly "Acknowledged, channel open."         

"Hey Sevrinson, give my regards to Bahram" Xarin smiled as Sevrinson drove his fist through the glass of his console. The green and black machine turned it's back to the control room, bathing it in green energy as it blasted towards the surface of mars.   

Sevrinson withdrew his fist from the damaged console "Get me every raptor you can summon and order them to stop Horus." He turned to his second in command "Scramble Reinhardt and Steele, make sure they cover all Orbital Frame exit points." He began a brisk walk out of the hangar control room. 

"Sir" his second in command began "do we have any idea of a direction or motive?"

"Yes… he's going after his wife"

"Ah… Ausaas ceased transmitting. Do you think…"

"Yeah, Seth must have caught up with her… lord knows what kind of hell he's unleashed out there…"

The duo rounded a bend as they continued their path towards the Phobos command center, the second in command spoke up "This is the fourth theft we've had. First Idolo, then Jehuty, then Dolores. How are you going to explain this one."

"We're not" Sevrinson smiles "Reinhardt and Steele will solve the problem neatly." 

The pair entered the command center. The room was roughly half circular on descending tiers. Holographic displays filled the entire forwards wall. On the master display was the snake like course that Horus was taking through the moonlet. One of the observers stepped forwards 

"Sir" he began "Horus has decimated all of the Cyclops and Raptor troops we've been able to summon, it appears we cannot saturate its defenses…." He glanced to his left at a woman staring at the master display "Doctor Tolianni suggests we use the Jehuty-Child machines against it, but I suggest we reserve those to support Steel and Reinhardt" 

Sevrinson turned his brown eyes upon Carlotta Tolianni. She was a thin woman, not martial born from her musculature and physique, of an olive complexion. Emerald eyes peered through wire-rimmed glasses, and full pert lips drew breath before she spoke. "That was my suggestion in order to force Horus to expend the power of its Vector Cloak."

"Ah yes… the much vaunted Vector Cloak" Sevrinson smiled "and what's preventing him from using the Zero Shift option?"

"The Driver isn't installed…."

A klaxon sounded from within the control pit, Tolianni raised her eyes to the command screen "Horus has altered course, he's heading for the central spire…" 

"What's in the central spire?" Sevrinson's second in command snatched the question from the admiral's lips. 

Tolianni's fingers flew over the holographic board "the Urenbeck catapult." The brought up a diagram of the potato shaped moonlet "it's at the lower end just like on Deimos"

Sevrinson seethed "Direct the raptors to cut him off at the pass, who's closest to him right now?"

"Reinhardt, sir"

"Good tell him to take up position at the J-13 intersection. That's about fifteen meters from the catapult… Order Steele to take up a rear guard position within the catapult, we cannot allow him to escape Aumaan"

The orange of the energy lines running through its body illuminated the raptor's olive drab exerior subtly. Horus's own energy lines gave the machine a green undertone, which helped accentuate its deadly beauty. Similar in design to the Raptor Orbital Frame, Horus had two massive striking blades that it used to project its burst attack and for melee combat. The blades were at the end of two flexible arms, capable of extending and retracting at the pilots will. Its overall body structure was reminiscent of the Jehuty, but the overall form was much smoother then it's cousin orbital frame. The smooth body moved forwards, much like it's cousin, into a dash attack bisecting the raptor and moving on, Xarin stared at his HUD 

"EOS, time till weapon stores?"

"Five minutes." Came the response from the ever-vigilant computer. 

"Confirmed" 

Xarin launched Horus forwards down the tunnel. 

"Shit" Reinhardt folded his arms against the chill of his cockpit. He and Maythyus were situated at the back of a mixed rank of Boxers and Raptors. Orange energy lines illuminated the brown colored orbital frame separating it from the smaller machines. Reinhardt bade the thick machine snap it's metatron blade claws open and closed 

"When the hell is he going to get here…." He closed his eyes. _Skor what in the hell are you thinking._

Reinhardt and Xarin had trained together as test pilots for the Bahram military forces on mars. A competent yet brash fighter, Reinhardt was overlooked for the Horus project for his impulsive nature. Reinhardt always remembered Xarin as a sort of cool and in charge type; he fought with a competent air about him as if he were constantly sure of victory no matter what the situation. _What could force a man like that to do something this brash…?_

A series of explosions caught Reinhardt's attention and he opened his eyes. 

"Decided not to keep me waiting eh?"

"Target one has engaged the screening Raptor forces sir"

Sevrinson nodded at the report "Tell Reinhardt to engage at his own discretion, but try to keep the pilot alive…"

Across the room, Tolianni snorted lightly. _They'll never stop Horus that way… he's too fast…_Her eyes narrowed as the green blip of Horus closed with the dark brown blip of Maythyus. _But… it should provide some excellent experimental data…_

Horus shoved one of its massive blades through the chest of the Boxer drone. It's AI impaled upon the glowing weapon, the unmanned orbital frame quickly fell off line. The larger machine hurled the inert weapon to the side and turned to face it's next opponent. The two orbital frames stood apart from each other, one solid and imposing, the other small and frail looking 

"Reinhardt…"

"Xarin… what the hell are you doing, man?" he shook his head "I've never known you to be an impulsive bastard, but this… what is this?"

"You wouldn't understand…."

"Like hell I wouldn't, tell me what's going on with you." 

Xarin remained silent, the feminine voice of EOS filled the comm waves "enemy back up forces approaching, warning, enemy back up forces approaching"

"Xarin look… it's nothing personal…"

Xarin cut his fellow pilot off before he could continue "I need Horus to do this… please… stand aside"

"No."

On that single word, the machines leapt at one another. Horus' right blade arced down towards Maythyus' shoulder, a blow that would have severed the machine's solid looking arm had Reinhardt not been aware. Maythyus caught the blade within the grip of its pincer-like assault claw. Horus thrust the second blade upwards, piercing the claw as it tried to guard, and impaling the machine on its shoulder, Reinhardt grunted. 

"Damn…"

"Withdraw Reinhardt, there's no reason you need to fight me.."

"Like hell… you're deserting Bahram, stealing an orbital frame for god know why…"

Xarin's sigh was barely audible "She's calling me…"

"What? Who?"

"Beatrice…"

Reinhardt shook his head "Get that out of your mind… Bea's gone. She's gone man, you have to let her go…"

"NO" the volume of Xarin's cry shocked even Xarin himself "No, she isn't dead… I can feel her…" he smiled "Just as Horus can feel Ausaas, can't you Horus…"

"You're loosin it man… I'm sorry Xarin but I'm bringing you in"

Switching tactics, he released the blade, and Horus raised its blade arm to strike. Maythyus struck the slimmer machine across its chest, tearing the blade from its shoulder. Orange energy arced from the wound like blood on a warrior. Horus pressed its attack, boosting and slashing twice at the bigger machine. Reinhardt guided the frame around the first, but the second strike opened a seam in the midsection of the machine, spewing more metatron. 

"Argh…"

"Withdraw, Jason…"

Reinhardt looked up at the mention of his name "…" Horus loomed in his screens, pulsing with power. 

"Please? Warrior to warrior, if there's any chance that Bea is still alive then…"

"I understand…" 

Horus seemed to glow with a green energy for a moment before whirling in a tight circle, the blades of its arms scything through Maythyus' neck. Its head fell slowly to the deck in the 1/6th gee of the moon base. Without a look behind it, Horus blasted down the tunnel.

            Sevrinson cursed as a report was called out from the depths of the command center "We've lost contract with Maythyus. Target one is continuing forwards" 

            "Contact Steele, tell her that target one is en route." Sevrinson grimaced… he didn't want to use Amentet so soon. _Wait… there is another option… _


	2. The love of Man

Part II: The love of Man

            _It was raining… It always rained in Kasei Vallis. The techs said it was part of the attempt to turn the valley into a sort of artificial reservoir, the mars itself would need the water before the planned nuclear detonations on the caps to jump star Mars' thin atmosphere. She didn't care about any of that, the rain helped accentuate her mood. _

_The wet tatters of her dress clung to her body, her eyes squeezes shut against the pain. Tears ran down her pale cheeks, across the ugly red bruise to mix with the rain falling from the sky. Her toe struck the edge of the curb and she tripped, fell into his arms._

_He looked down at her, compassion and warmth in those green eyes that looked so out of place in that tan face. His crimson locks were matted against his head as he lifted her upright _

_"Are you alright?"_

_It was a simple question but it brought flashes of pain, she shook her head and collapsed into his arms, crying into his shirt. It was then that she realized he was an pilot…_

            Olivia's alarm shook her awake. She reached over to her bedside lamp and slapped the light on, the sound was emanating from the commset at her bedside. She reached for the receiver and mumbled slowly into it.

            "Hello..?"

            The voice at the other end wasn't the one from her dream "Lieutenant. Report to hangar twelve, it's an emergency." The line went dead. 

            Olivia leapt from the bed and fled into her closet. Not bothering with her underwear, she pulled her black and red flight suit over her body, shivering as the chill material made contact with her skin. She could feel Amentet pulse to life several decks below her. She closed her eyes.

            "Good morning Amy…"

            Olivia raced out into the corridor, not bothering to look at the note on her nightstand.

            As Olivia stepped into the corridor a pair of guards and Smith, Severinson's second in command greeted her. He joined her at her elbow. 

            "Horus has been stolen by Lt. Skor. You're to intercept and prevent his entry into the urenbrek catapult"

            Her quick stride faltered for a moment. _No… _several decks below Amentet twitched perceptibly, a response to her pilot's distress. "Are you sure Vice Admiral?"

            "Yes, we've got voice recording of it."

            _Voice? _"How… why did he take Horus?"

            Smith stopped walking "It has to do with Seth… there's a possibility…"

            Olivia blanched and mouthed the words… _Seth… but they said that Seth was lost… with… _"It's not possible…" 

            Smith nodded grimly and continued on. As they walked, one thought plagued her mind: _Why_

            "….Lt. Steele come in… this is mission control…"

            Olivia shook herself from her reverie and stared at her command console. She reached forwards to toggle the comm channels open "Command, Steele" 

            "Lt. Steele, you are ordered to withdraw from that area, Heracles will take up your position."

            _What? A heavy arms Orbital frame?_ "with all due respect sir… I believe that Amentet and I can take…."

            There was a rustle on the other end of the line as the comm operator switched places with the admiral. His weathered face came into view on her monitor. 

            "Lieutenant, if Xarin's goal is to escape from Phobos base and deliver Horus and any information he's gathered on project Aumaan to the UEF, we cannot allow him to see the extent of Amentet's abilities. Is that understood?"

            Olivia balked "But sir…"

            "I don't care about your personal feelings on the matter… the secrecy of the Aumaan units is of the utmost importance. Retreat, now!" the comm channel snapped closed. Olivia felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her orbital frame to face Heracles. The Cyclopesque frame was squeezing her shoulder as if to reassure her. 

            "don't worry Olivia," said Jackson "I'll bring him in safely." 

            Olivia nodded, toggling the Zero Shift command. 

            "Zero Shit detected."

            Xarin looked up "Location?"

            "Five meters ahead"

            "Confirmed? Enemy position?"

            A three dimensional map of Phobos appeared in the cockpit, it shifted quickly to show their current position. A cloud of red dots separated them from their destination, the green dot. Xarin grimaced and interfaced with the Aumaan central processor. 

            "Heracles eh?" he sighed lightly, Jackson wasn't likely to go easy on him. _Especially after what happened with Olivia…_

            The normal compliment of pilots stationed on Phobos shared a sort of bond for they were the only active duty frame runners actually assigned to Aumaan with the exception of Aunbis and Nohmann himself. It was only inevitable that relationships would form between the members of the group… _And some of us, more than others, couldn't handle that…_

Xarin glanced at the black velvet box on his control panel "Shit" 

He pushed Horus onwards into the shaft. 

            Jackson smiled to himself as Horus emerged into the shaft some distance away from his orbital frame and his compliment of Cyclopes. He verbalized a command, increasing the zoom on the green orbital frame. He watched the machine dismember the two raptors that engaged it. 

            "For you, Olivia, I will bring him down."

            He bade the Heracles upwards towards the green orbital frame. 

            In mere seconds, Horus was engulfed with enemies. Through the command screen, Xarin could see the Uhlenbeck catapult, Aumaan's drive system. All he had to do was get through this massive cloud of enemies. Switching Horus from melee to ranged combat mode, Xarin boosted the orbital frame through the remains of one of the Cyclops machines, almost daring the rest to follow. The massive blades that formed Horus' hands split horizontally into two sections, unleashing a hail of metatron energy from the newly formed cannons.

            The hail of fire raced towards the AI controlled orbital frames, shredding them as their at compelled them to attack the superior fore. Horus leapt in short boosts of its thrusters, maneuvering itself left and right ascending and descending. Below the carnage, Jackson and Heracles waited. The machine's amber eyes seemed to burn with the pilot's anger

            "How in the hell…." He paused "Heracles identify weapon…"

            The masculine voice of the machine's AI replied "Weapon identified as phalanx rapid fire energy weapon. Confirmed driver installed as part of operations system on Orbital Frame Horus"

            "Shit" 

Unlike Jehuty or even Anubis, Horus was designed with the rapid-fire phalanx cannons as an installed weapon. This came as a surprise to Jackson who'd planned to use the unmanned orbital frames as cover before his initial assault. He slammed his hand upon the screen, momentarily fuzzing it.

            "Damn you Skor…"

Heracles stopped short of the debris field that remained of his covering squadron. Hatches on the immense orbital frame opened revealing row after row of metatron energy projectors. The machine visible twitched as countless beams raced towards the hovering Horus.

The green and black machine paused before reacting, it boosted towards the wall of the catapult and used one of its blades to shear the armor plating from the wall. Impaling the plate on one blade, Xarin used the armor as cover while he returned fire at the Heracles. 

The larger frame boosted left, hoping to get around its smaller cousin, but Horus wasn't having any part of it. As the larger frame moved, a shower of fire greeted its motion. Jackson cursed and switched his sub-weapon before opening a communications channel 

"Having fun, Skor?" sneered Jackson. 

"Oh shit… Jackson. Get out of my way."

"Why!" he spread his arms and Heracles mimicked the motion "This seems a perfect setting to enact my revenge."

"Revenge?"

"Yeah… for what you did to Olivia. How could you destroy such a beautiful creature?"

Xarin snorted loudly "Bullshit. Olivia and I were only together once, and that was before I transferred out to Heliopolis"

"You should have known she was in love with you!"

Xarin's eyes widened and then narrowed for a moment "I don't care. I made it clear to her that I wasn't in love with her. Bea is calling me. I need to get to her, if you're not going to get the hell out of my way, then we'll move you."

"We?"

"Horus and I will bring her home, now get the hell outta my way!"

With that horus accelerated towards the larger frame, using it's make shift shield as cover from the orange energy bolts loosed from Heracles' cannons. 

"Just a little closer…"

Jackson switched subweapons just as Horus entered the range of it's halberds. The four orange beams struck the makeshift shield dead on, blowing it from horus' grasp and knocking the frame into a spin. Xarin quickly recovered only to be greeted with a hail of fire from the larger machine 

"How do you like that Skor? You're not so bad assed when you can't get in close are you." Jackson sneered across the comm lines.

Horus spun away from another barrage and halted it's upwards flight. _He's trying to force me away from the catapult._ He eyed one of the metatron conduits. _Perhaps it's time to show him that Horus isn't just a beefed up raptor…_

"Maybe so, Jackson, but you'll never catch me to find out. Asshole!" Horus boosted away from the larger machine as a hail of phalanx fire greeted his retort. In his rage, Jackson chased the machine across the central spire with his ravenous fire. 

"Come one you fat fuck, can't you do any better than that?" the orbital frame folded it's blade arms and hovered before the metatron conduit. The machine seemed to stare down at Heracles as if glowering over a superior foe.

"Aaargh!" Jackson sent the Heracles charging at Horus, its gauntlet aglow with metatron energy "Dodge this!"

            The nimble green and black machine boosted to it's left, away from the Heracles who, with it's larger mass, was unable to dodge the metatron conduit. It's gauntlet entered the conduit engulfing the machine in a terrific explosion. Horus hovered some distance away from the machine 

            "Vital forms detected"

            Xarin smirked "Thank you Horus."

            Heracles drifted from the explosion, its outer surface was charred and the energy lines running through the frame had taken on a yellow color "Damn you Skor."

            "Frame damage quota exceeding fifty percent." Intoned Horus. 

            "Jackson, fall back. I don't want to cause any more damage."

            "Never!" Jackson slammed his fists against his holographic HUD "I'll never give in to you!"

            Xarin shook his head "Look, all I want to do is find Bea and Ausaas… so please…" 

            Jackson shook his head and sent Heracles launching upwards "NO!" he shook his head "A man like you doesn't deserve to be happy! I'll see you rot in Aumaan's brig!" 

            As Heracles raced upwards, Xarin spun Horus, using the right hand blade to counter the punch and the left to impale the machine. Locked together, Horus glared into Heracles' cycloptic eye. 

            "Look I didn't mean for any of this to happen" he tapped a few controls on his panel beginning the process called transplantation, the equivalent of a metatron computer download "I just want to find the woman I love… Horus says that he's still receiving a metatron signal from Ausaas, and I know in my heart that Bea's still alive…"

            "Driver transfer complete" intoned Horus. 

            Xarin nodded "So I'm sorry but this is something I have to do…."

            Horus reared back and activated the halberd sub weapon. From it's blade cannons, a green blade of energy emerged, Horus used its new weapon to sever Heracles' head before boosting towards the catapult.  

"Heracles is down. Target one is proceeding towards Uhlenbeck catapult."

Sevrinson grumbled unhappily "Recall Amentet! Order her to engage target one at once!"

The tracking officer shook his head "No good sir, Amentet is too far from Target one to arrive in enough time to successfully engage him."

"Sir!" a third officer called out "We have motion on Heracles. It appears as if he's trying to re-engage target one!"

"What!"

Heracles floated listlessly, orange energy arcing from it's wounds. The pilot within its cockpit ground his teeth in rage for he was utterly blind without the head of his machine. He clutched his head in his hands. 

"Why damn you! Why!" he stared at the ceiling of his machine "he doesn't deserve any of this! None of this!" _Not after leaving Olivia like that… She deserved better…_

The HUD before him sparkled to life almost as if it were responding to its master's cries. Jackson's tears struck lightly upon the semitransparent surface.

"Warning. Your mental status has dropped below fifty percent, further drops in mental status will result in a drop in combat performance."

He looked up at the HUD through tear-streaked eyes "Heracles…"

"Yes?"

"What is the superiority estimation index of this frame?" 

"In comparison with target one, the loss of primary viewing systems as placed us at a seventy five percent deficit. I do not suggest maneuvering under these conditions."

"Duly noted. Heracles can you patch into the Aumaan security systems?"

"Confirmed."

"If we route the internal sensor feed through the visual cortex could you create a composite image for use in navigation?"

"Affirmative"

"Do so."

Horus blazed through another wall of enemies, the machine seemed impervious to its smaller cousins now that they'd lost the coordination fostered upon them by the larger Heracles. It scythed its blades through another set of enemies when a warning erupted in the machine's cockpit. 

"Heavyarms type Orbital Frame moving into combat position"

Xarin looked at his subwindow "What"

Horus shook visible as a burst attack from it's once felled foe smashed through it's defenses and hurled it into the "ground" considering up and down in space are relative. The machine leapt to its feet as the pilot cleared his head. 

"Damage index now exceeding seventy five percent"

"Thank you Horus" _How the hell is he still moving?_

Xarin had little time to ponder the question as a hail of fire erupted around the orbital frame 

"Warning, enemy back up forces now in battle position"

_Heracles' onboard weapons couldn't have unleashed that volume of fire it has to be…_Xarin's thought trailed off as he caught sight of the origin of the energy blast: at least a dozen Mummyhead orbital frames had entered the shaft and were now supporting the Heracles. Horus launched upwards to meet his renewed foe. 

"I suggest you retreat and engage the enemy one by one in a distant combat condition."

"Suggestion noted" Xarin smirked as Horus' blades shredded another one of the mummyheads. The machine thrust its arm out, impaling one of the machines through the sphere at it's neck: the central processing core. It repeated the process with another one of the unmanned frames. 

"Assuming control of enemy battle unit."

The energy lines upon the two speared units shifted from orange to green as Horus turned their firepower upon their brethren. Scores of explosions littered the central spire as the mummyheads shore their fellow AI controlled frames into glowing particles. Through that maelstrom flew Heracles, fist cocked and ready to strike. Horus hurled one of the mummy heads into the machine's path, Xarin watched with dismay as it was swatted aside. 

"You'll have to try harder if you expect to beat me, Skor!"

"Is that so…" Xarin eyed the still sparking seam in the Heracles' chest.

"Yes.."

"then take this!"

Xarin thrust the mummy head towards the Heracles and opened fire with it's halberd weapons, the twin orange lances impacted upon the shield of the larger frame. As it approached through the beam it reared back, exposing the wound on its chest. Jackson never saw the azure beam that impaled his frame until it was too late. 

"Is that good enough?"

Jackson cursed loudly, roaring with rage as his machine tumbled to the wall of the shaft.

"All enemy units have been destroyed. Damage index exceeding sixty five percent, I suggest immediate departure from the combat area."

Xarin nodded "I concur. Activate the catapult"  
  


Below the frame, a massive torrent of metatron-based energy whirled to life as the six concentric rings of the catapult whirred to life. In the center of that tempest was Horus, its arms out stretched like a bird preparing to take flight. The frame began to glow with a brilliant energy, forcing Jackson to shield his eyes. As the glow surrounded the machine, an unearthly sound filled the shaft 

"Bea… I'm coming…"

The machine leapt forwards as the catapult projected it through folded space.

"Commander?"

"Hmm?" Harry Nussbaum looked up from his glass of tea "What is it lieutenant"

"Phobos has just launched something in the direction of the Earth, it should pass within our field of detection in five minutes"

"As soon as it enters our rang, put it on the main screen."

"Aye sir"

Xarin closed his eyes as Horus hummed around him. The orbital frame had gone into sleep mode with minimal scanners on line. It would take about a half a day to reach the _Serenity_, the commercial freighter Xarin had purchased to transport him to the Asteroids so he could begin his search for Ausaas and Beatrice.

Since the frame was in sleep mode, it didn't register the passive scanners playing over its smooth green surface. 

Horus' gold sheathed image appeared on the primary monitor. The analyst looked up at the machine.

"Sir! The machine appears to be an S-type orbital frame!"

"What?!" Nussbaum whirled to his left "Tactical, I want a firing solution now!"

"Sir" the tactical officer peered into the scope that served as the targeting systems for the massive main guns situated on the cruiser's outer hull. "Bearing three-two-three mark four. Z minus twelve degrees."

Harry nodded "guns, disabling shot. We want him alive."

"Aye sir"

So… this is their next move… 

"Deploy V2 squadron when we have confirmed capture.

"Aye."

The impact of the primary cannon from the UNSF _Thunderchild_ was more than enough to shake Xarin from his sleep. The machine shook as if grasped in the hand of god as it was hurled from the metatron induced space compression. 

"Warning, Interruption of space compression has resulted in damage exceeding fifty percent. Warning enemy battle cruiser approaching, the enemy is deploying numerous V2 type mobile weapons. I suggest you retreat and engage them one on one in distant condition."

A second blast rocked the Orbital Frame hurling Xarin against the HUD. The pilot slumped in his chair as crimson globules of blood hung in a halo about his head.

"Warning, damage has exceeded twenty five percent, enemy backup forces now in combat position. Warning pilot vital activity has dropped to ten percent. I suggest you take immediate action to correct this situation. Xarin… can you hear me?"


End file.
